Spring biased, roll up window shades have long been known and consist of a flexible fabric shade wound on a wooden roller, the roller having a pin, or pintle, projecting from one end, and a flat spear for winding the spring projecting from the other end. In old houses in need of renovation such spring-wound, roll-up shades have usually been mounted in a pair of brackets each affixed on one of the opposite sides of the channel for the lower sash, near the top of the channels.
In an article entitled 1983 "Window Market Evaluation" which appeared in Remodeling World / August 1983, it is indicated that home remodeling priorities now not only include kitchen and bath, but also energy conserving products such as new windows. It was estimated that 37 million prime replacement windows will be used in the residential market.
When the old windows are replaced with new energy efficient replacement windows, it is necessary to remove the trim pieces and the side stops from the old windows. The trim pieces or side stops have the old window shade brackets mounted thereto.
The old trim pieces, or side stops, usually have to be discarded because they are too narrow when the new wider energy efficient replacement windows are installed. The new replacement windows do not usually come with adjustable built-in window shade brackets to accommodate any new location of the shade.
It has, heretofore, been proposed to provide window shade brackets which are affixed to the upper part of a window frame as in the following patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,579,788 to Burns of Dec. 25, 1951, discloses a pair of four walled brackets which entirely enclose the opposite ends of the shade and are quite visible to an observer..
U.S. Pat. No. 2,633,322 to Barr of Mar. 31, 1953, also discloses a plurality of flanges, or walls, and the fixture is affixed to the part of the window frame which faces into the room, so that it can be seen easily by anyone in the room.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,964,276 to Silverthorne of Dec. 13, 1960 provides a pair of generally L shaped brackets forced apart by a threaded telescopable rod for hanging a curtain..
U.S. Pat. No. 3,181,829 to Larsen of May 4, 1965 in FIG. 7 shows a shade support projecting into a room but having a right angular base which is screwed to the window frame.